Geography Games for Every Explorer!
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We love geography games!
They are a great way to explore the world!
There is much more to geography than memorizing locations. Geography means learning about different cultures, comparing different climates, and understanding navigation.
The games we are sharing this week are mostly about locations around the world and USA, but our highlighted game is all about navigation! This fun game teaches kids how to use a compass to navigate their way around the gameboard!
21 Geography Game Ideas
Phantom Seas (highlighted below)
- Ages: 8+
- Players: 2-4
- Skills Practiced: Directional Awareness, Navigation
- Ages: 3+
- Players: 1+
- Skills Practiced: US & World Geography, Astronomy
- Ages: 5+
- Players: 2+
- Skills Practiced: Social Interaction, Self-Discovery
- Ages: 6+
- Players: 2-4
- Skills Practiced: US Geography
- Ages: 7+
- Players: 2-4
- Skills Practiced: Probability, Strategy, Geography, Animals
- Ages: 7+
- Players: 2-5
- Skills Practiced: World Geography
- Ages: 8+
- Players: 2-5
- Skills Practiced: US Geography, State Facts & Information
- Ages: 8+
- Players: 2-5
- Skills Practiced: US Geography
- Ages: 8+
- Players: 2-5
- Skills Practiced: Geography, World Facts & Information
- Ages: 8+
- Players: 2-5
- Skills Practiced: Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem, Strategy
- Ages: 10+
- Players: 2-5
- Skills Practiced: US Geography, History
“We packed so much into this game. There are over 140 U.S. location cards that include a photo and fun and interesting facts. It is a great way to learn about the United States National Parks, Monuments (both natural and man-made), and also includes many historic and geological facts,” said Stacy Longstreet, Director of Product Development and Sourcing at SimplyFun.”
Read More
- Ages: 10+
- Players: 1-5
- Skills Practiced: US Geography, US National Parks
USA Bingo
- Ages: 4+
- Players: 2-8
- Skills Practiced: US Geography
World Bingo
- Ages: 4+
- Players: 2-8
- Skills Practiced: World Geography
US Geography Bingo
- Ages: 5+
- Players: 2-6
- Skills Practiced: US Geography
Continent Race
- Ages: 6+
- Players: 2+
- Skills Practiced: Continents, Flags, Countries
Great States
- Ages: 7+
- Players: 2-6
- Skills Practiced: US States
Where in the World
- Ages: 8+
- Players: 2+
- Skills Practiced: World Geography
Race Across the USA
- Ages: 8+
- Players: 2-4
- Skills Practiced: US Geography
Race Across the World
- Ages: 8+
- Players: 1-10
- Skills Practiced: World Geography
Trekking the World
- Ages: 10+
- Players: 1-5
- Skills Practiced: World Geography
Phantom Seas
In Phantom Seas, players travel around the sea searching for treasure (while trying to avoid the Phantom Ship). Move your ship using compass navigation cards, but watch out for turbulent waters - they rotate the gameboard 90 degrees, which changes the N/S/E/W directions.
Subject: Geography
Ages: 8+
Number of Players: 2-4
Skills Practiced: Directional Awareness, Navigation
Game Components:
- Gameboard with a real compass in the corner
- Wooden ship pawns
- Wooden Phantom Ship pawn
- Thick, cardboard tiles
- Compass navigation cards
Gameplay
Step 1: Choose a Navigation Card
- Each round has seven navigation cards to choose from.
- Choose a card for which direction you’d like to move your ship.
Step 2: Move Your Ship
- Move your ship.
- In the example here, 1-3 means you can move your ship 1, 2, or 3 spaces.
- The compass needle points North, so you must move your ship North.
Step 3: Land on a Treasure Tile
- When you land on a treasure tile, flip it over.
Step 4: Avoid the Phantom Ship
- If the back of your treasure tile shows a number and the Phantom Ship, you must move the Phantom Ship that number of spaces towards you.
- If the Phantom Ship reaches you, you lose your treasure.
- If the Phantom Ship does NOT reach you, you keep the treasure.
Step 5: Turbulent Waters
- If the back of your treasure tile reveals turbulent waters, you must rotate the gameboard 90 degrees.
- This means that N/S/E/W have changed.
You can find more modifications for special needs and autism on the game description page.
Why we love this game:
Learning how to use a compass is a great skill to have, and there aren’t many board games out there that teach this.
What to watch out for:
Make sure you have a large enough space to play because you’ll need to rotate the board every so often.
See More Phantom Seas
Looking for a different type of geography game? Try Eagle Chase.
Educational Bonus
The Phantom Seas instruction manual includes several paragraphs on a magnetic compass, such as what a compass is, how to use it, and how it works.
Read: Let's Sail with Navigation Game, Phantom Seas!
"Could you navigate without your GPS? Directional awareness is a skill that improves with use. Our brains process route (where your head is pointing), place (your location within an environment) and grid (the relation between different locations). These three concepts together provide your sense of direction…"
Where to Find It
You can find Phantom Seas here!
Gameschooling Tips for Geography
Geography board games are versatile tools that are ideal for homeschooling families.
You can pull out the games to reinforce what the kids are learning in their lessons, whether they’re tracing trade routes or identifying capital cities.
This hands-on approach helps kids learn better and focus longer.
Our Advice:
- Point out and discuss the borders between countries and states.
- Point out bodies of water or continents.
- Use games that go along with your current lessons.
- The more you play, the more your child will start to remember the locations, state names, ocean names, etc. Don’t worry if it doesn’t happen overnight. There are many places in the world and many things to remember!
- Buy a compass and pull it out when you play games.
- If your child shows interest in a location, research it after the game.
Fun Extras
